Whiffletree.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

S. A. HAZELTONL WHIFPLETREE. APPLICATION FILED APB.17, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

WHIFFLETREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed April 17, 1906. $erial N- 312,128.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMON ALBERT HAZEL- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Pavilion, in the county of Genesee and Stateof New York, have invented a new and Improved Whifiietree, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in whiffletrees and has, among otherobjects, to provide a whiffietree which can be automatically operated todetach and attach the traces of the harness quickly and with littlelabor, and to inclose all of the operating parts-in order that they maybe obscured from view and protected from the weather.

The whifiietree is designed to be compact, of good appearance andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture, also strong and durable.

It is well known that times arise in driving horses when it becomesdesirable to release instantaneously the horse from the vehicle.Especially is this so when the animal from any reason becomes frightenedand attempts to run away. With my device the traces can be detached fromthe whiffietree by means operated from the vehicle while the latter isin motion, and the desired object accomplished.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved whiflietree, partly in section,showing the parts as they normally stand to engage the traces, thetraces being represented in this figure in dotted position; Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1 with the trace engaging means drawn to releasethe traces; Fig. 3 is a back side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line 44 of Fig. 3 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional,plan view of a modified from of my invention, and Fig. 6 is a section onthe line 66 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The numeral 1 indicates a long metal box or casing substantially squarein cross section, forming the body of the whi'liletree, to which isattached at each end caps 2 having sockets for embracing each end of thecasing, and held thereon by bolts or rivets 3, as shown in Fig. 1. Thebases of the ca s are extended beyond the ends, providing anges 4 withinclined grooves 5, into which pass the ends of forked levers 6 pivotedbetween lugs 7 extending upwardly from the top of the cap, said levershaving handles or extensions 8 normally forced upwardly by flat springs9 secured to the caps by screws 10, which keep the forked ends of thelevers in engagement with the inclined grooves 5 until released by thehandles 8.

The center of the whiffietree has at the top w meshing with the pinion13 and having offsets 17 at opposite ends connected to rods 18 havingreduced ends 19 forming the trace engaging means, and passing through anaperture in the lower central portion of each cap and between the forkof the levers 6 pivoted to them. Near the ofiset portion 17 connectingthe rack bars with the rods 18, and in each rod, is a vertical slot 20through which passes a pin 21 pressed upon by a spring 22 on the rod 18at one of its ends, and at the opposite end of the spring pressing on apin 23 passing transversely through the rod some distance nearer itsouter end. The relative location of the slot 20 and pin 21 is such thatthe slot forms a stop to limit the outward and inward movements of thepins 19.

Pivoted above, and at one side of the rack bars 16, in lugs 24 (see Fig.4) is a lever 25, having a quadrant gear 26 formed as an integral partthereof at one side of the pivotal connection meshing with the pinion13, and a kerf at the opposite side, into which projects a flat spring27 secured by rivets, or otherwise, at the inside of the casing.

The free end of the-lever 25 is provided with an eye to which may beattached a strap or cord 28 to pull the lever and its at- I tachedspring through a slot 29 at one side of the casing when desired tosecure or release the traces.

The modifications shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are in all respects similar tothe construction hereinbefore described, differing only in the operatingmechanism at the center of the casing. The ends of the bars at thecenter of the whiifietree are not ofiset to the same extent as shown inthe preferred form of my invention, nor do they approach each other Inthe operation of the whiffletree, the pin I 12 or 12 as the case may be,projecting from each side of the tree, is pivotally attached to thecross tree with the slot 29 at the back side of the vehicle, and therope or strap 28 passing to some convenient point in the vehicle whereit will be out of the way, as for example, the whip handle socket. Inhitching, the traces are brought between the lever 6 and the caps 2, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, after the lever 25 has been pulled outto retract the pins 19, as shown in Fig. 2. When the holes in the tracesare in alinement with the pins 19, the lever 29 is released, which, bythe action of the spring 27 and springs 22, project the pins through thetraces and into the levers 6, at the same time drawing the operatinglever into the casing, thereby holding the traces securely in place. Theinclined slots engaging the forked ends of the lovers 6 prevent thetraces from becoming disengaged from the pins 19, and the pins frombecoming bent by the constant pull and jerks on the traces.

It is evident that various changes in the details of construction can bemade withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of my invention; and I consider that I am entitled to suchmodifications as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a whiffietree, the combination of a casing substantially square incross section, caps fitting over the ends thereof, levers pivoted to thecaps, springs for forcing the levers inwardly, flanges extending fromthe base of the caps having slots for engaging the ends of the levers, apivot pin passing perpendicularly through the center of the tree, apinionloosely mounted on ball hearings on the pivot pin, rack barsmeshing with the pinion at each side thereof, rods carried by the rackbars having reduced ends passing through the caps, guide slots in therods, pins passing through the slots for limiting the movement of therods in each direction, springs on said rods pressing on said pins, pinsfixed to the rods, a lever journaled at one side of the pinion carryinga quadrant gear meshing therewith, a spring attached to the lever and tothe casing of the whifiiletree, and means for operating the levercarried at one end thereof.

2. In a whiffietree, a casing, caps at each end thereof, rods havingreduced ends adapted to be projected through the caps, a pinionjournaled at the center of the casing, rack bars carried by the rodsmeshing with the pinion, andindependent means for operating the pinionin each direction.

3. In a whiffletree, a casing, caps having socket ends fitting over eachend thereof, a flange projecting from the base of each cap having agroove therein, a lever pivoted to each cap adapted to engage thegroove, and reciprocating means carried in the casing adapted to projectinto each lever.

4. In a whiffletree, a casing, rods inclosed by the casing adapted toreciprocate therein,

trace engaging means and a rack bar at the ends of each rod within thecasing, a pinion within the casing meshing with the rack bars, a leverhaving a gear meshing with the pinion for reciprocating the rack bars inone direction, and springs on the rods for reciprocating them in theopposite direction.

5. In a whiflietree, a casing, caps fitting over each end thereof,levers pivoted to each cap, rods having trace engaging meansreciprocating in the casing, a rack bar at the inner end of each rod, apinion meshing with the rack bars, a lever having a gear meshing withthe pinion for reciprocating the rack bars in one direction, springs onthe rods for reciprocating them in the opposite direction, and a slot ineach rod through which a guide pin passes for limiting the reciprocatorymovement in each direction.

6. In a whiffietree, a casing, trace engaging means adapted to beprojected through each end thereof, a lever pivoted at the center of thecasing for reciprocating the trace engaging n'ieans, and a spring fixedto the casing and passing into a kerf in the lever for returning thelever to its normal position.

7. In a whiffletree, a casing, spring-pressed levers pivoted at each endof the casing, trace engaging means adapted to be projected through theends of the casing and into the levers, and means for engaging thelevers at their free ends, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SIMON ALBERT I-IAZELTON. I

WVitnesses:

FRANoEs F. HAZELTON, ALICE E. HAzELToN.

